The GENES Blog (GEnealogy News and EventS): Top stories concerning ancestral research in Britain, Ireland, and their diasporas, from Irish born Scottish based professional family historian, author and tutor Chris Paton. Feel free to quote from this blog, but please credit The GENES Blog if you do so. To contact me please email chrismpaton @ outlook.com.

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Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Kilkenny girls wrong shape for Restoration comedy

"Kilkenny girls are the wrong shape for a Restoration comedy" - that's a casting director's claim from 1968 in a 7 minute video available on the new EU Screen website at www.euscreen.eu/play.html?id=EUS_459C020A184B48F4B449FF58A3AEA648! There were certain casting requirements that the local girls could not fulfil apparently, with the commentator in all seriousness saying such classic lines as "The women wear low bosom revealing gowns - Tom Jones, one feels, would be at home in Kilkenny"! Rumours of nakedness on set and all sorts - down with that sort of thing!

The story, looking at the making of a 'controversial' film entitled Lock Up Your Daughters is one of several supplied by Irish state broadcaster RTE to the project at www.euscreen.eu which hosts material from 17 European countries. Have a look and see if you can find any other treasures!

My wife is from Piltown in Kilkenny - I am now just waiting for a suitable moment to come out with "Kilkenny girls are the wrong shape for a Restoration comedy". I suspect the response will be along the lines of "Ulster men are the right shape for a knee in the groin!" lol :)

(With thanks to @sheenatait)

Pic: The required shape for Kilkenny girls in a 1968 Restoration comedy